Caster.



No. 959,699. Patented oct. ls, |900. n. NICKEL & E. w. wAlNwmGHT.

A C A S T E H (Application Bled Jan. 15, 1900.\

(No Model.)

17H/enjoy; Zaal/ MCe'Z q@ Erdal/aad mnwr'y/Zj lINrrnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID NICKEL AND EDWARD WV. VAINVRIGHT, OF MORRIS, ILLINOIS; SAID WAINWRIGHT lASSIGNOR TO SAID NICKEL-l CASTER.

SPECIFIGTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,689, dated October 16, 1906.

Application filed January 15, 1900. Serial No. 1,552. (No model.)

To all whom, it muy concern:

Be itknown that we, DAVID NICKEL and EDWARD W. WAINWRIGHT, citizens of the United States, residing at Morris, in the county of Grundy and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a specification.

It is a common and general practice to apply casters to dierent articles of furniture and other structures, and in doing this it is desirable to have such an attachment as will permit of the easy and ready removal of the caster, and various attempts have been made to attain this end.

The object of our invention is to construct a caster which can be easily attached to or detached from the article with which it is used, which will be simple in construction and well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended, and which when applied will be held in place without the employment of nails or screws and so as to permit of its ready, quick, and easy detachment.

The invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing the figure is a sectional elevation showing the construction and arrangement of our improved caster.

In carrying out our invention we employa caster-wheel A, made of wood, iron, or other material, as usual, and mount it in the arms or forks l) of a bracket or support B bya pin or trunnion o, as usual. The bracket or support B is carried by a pin or pintle C, which, as shown, is secured thereto by means of a neck, c passing through a ring or guard c and the plate b of the support or bracket and then riveted or headed down, so as to firmly and rigidly attach the pin or pintle to the bracket or support for the free turning of the bracket or support in use.

The retainer orbinding-spring D is of a U shape, so as to provide a spring portion d on each side with an outward bow or curve anda top or connecting piece d', and it is made from a single piece of flat spring metal or other suitable material. The spring is secured to the pin or pintle by a neck e of the pintle, which passes through an opening in the center or connecting piece d for such piece to rest upon a shoulder or flange e'. The neck e also passes through a disk or plate E and is riveted or headed down thereon, which disk or plate forms a guide and support for cen tering the caster in the socket or opening therefor' in the article to which lthe caster is applied. The retaining or binding spring is held between the collar or flangeV e' and the plate or disk E, and the opening for the neck e in the spring and disk is one that will not interfere with the revolving of the stern C. A bottom disk or plate F is located around the pin or pintle C, with an interposed bushiugf between the pin or pintle andthe plate or disk, which bushing has a head or flange f', resting on the collar or washer c and against a bottom plate G, through which the bushing passes, by which arrangementl the pin or pintle is mounted and held in place, so as to be free to turn or revolve. The disk or plate F forms a guide to coact with the disk or plate E in centering the casterin place. The two plates or disks, as shown, are each recessed or charnbered, so as to have a cup shape, andthe free ends of the side springs d enter and are free to move in the cup or depressed port-ion of the disk or plate F. This allows of the contraction and expansion of the springs necessary for entering the shank ot the caster formed by the plates or disks into the socket therefor and the expansion or throwing out necessary when the caster is inserted to -enable the springs to impinge against the wall of the socket or hole and retain the caster in place. y

The retaining or binding spring is to have its side arms or springs bowed or curved, so as to throw in or out, and thereby permit of the necessary contraction and expansion for the insertion and retention of the caster in its socket or hole for the caster shank or guide. The force exerted by the spring should be sufficient to provide abearing or impingement against the wall of the socket or hole that will prevent the natural dropping out of the caster, and so as to require a slight pull in order to detach the caster. The spring by reason of its form and action furnishes the required retaining quality to hold the caster in place and at the same time permit IOO of its ready Withdrawal and insertion without any trouble or inconvenience.

We claiml. In a caster, the combination of a casterwheel, a `bracket or support for the Wheel, a pin or pintle carrying the bracket or support and having a shoulder and neckat its `upper end, a retaining or binding spring through the top of which the neck of the pin or pintle passes leaving the depending sides contractible and expansible longitudinally forentering the caster and retaining it in place, an upper disk or plate encircling the pintle-neck and between which and the pin or pintle shoulder the spring is secured and held -in place, With the pin or pintle free to turn and a lateral support for the piu or pintle at its lower end, substantially as described.

2. In a caster, the combination of a casterwheel, a bracket or support for the wheel, a

pin or pintle carrying the bracket or support and having a shoulder and neck at its upper end, a retaining or binding spring through the center of which the neck of the pin or pintle passes leaving the depending sides con- Atractible and expansible longitudinally, an 

